An Out of This World NASA Control Panel for Kids
This partially Arduino-based control panel features a number of tricks to keep children at daycare entertained.
Several years ago, “r570sv” built a rocket ship control panel that included a vast array of buttons, lights, and other doodads. His sister-in-law saw it at a Maker Faire and really enjoyed it, so he decided to craft another as a Christmas gift for her to use at the daycare that she runs.
What r570sv came up with is a significantly simplified version of his original panel, with an array of knobs and buttons that should be able to stand up to the rigors of kids using it. The device constructed out of plywood, and painted a nice shade of “spacey” gray. A number of individual laser-cut panels are attached with screws, which contain the actual electronics.
Four of the six panels are simple light up button/switch assemblies, which should be entertaining for a bit of creative experimentation. The two others, however, feature Arduino boards for more extensive control. One of these flashes LEDs in different patterns depending on whether a spaceship or alien head icon is selected. The other features a small display screen, with an encoder that changes the numerical output when spun left and right. A pair of buttons either brings up a picture onscreen, or prints “BLAST OFF” depending on which is pushed.
A number of stickers complete the build. As shown in the video below, it should be a lot of fun for kids to use!